A World War II veteran shared his story of survival during the Battle of the Bulge at the Veterans Expo held recently at the Lehighton American Legion.

The event was sponsored by State Rep. Doyle Heffley.Heffley said he sponsored the expo to bring veterans together and allow others to hear their stories. He said that his goal was not only to recognize the veterans and thank them for their service, but to also record their stories so they would never be forgotten.As part of the program, Heffley presented the World War II veterans who were present with House of Representatives citations.The Battle of the Bulge has become known as one of the most costly battles of all time in terms of casualties for the United States and for the men who spoke about their memories - they are all too real.Speaks aboutatrocity of warDonald Burdick was 19 when he was drafted and was sent to Germany. He said his job was to use a slide rule to locate the Germans.While he was able to help track the Germans with his slide rule, it was the story of the soldiers being trapped in Bastogne and his walk through a concentration camp which brought to light the depth of suffering endured by both the soldiers and the innocent people who were murdered by the Nazis during World War II.Bastogne was defended by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, which had to be reinforced by troops who straggled in from other battlefields."I was a scared 19 year old," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."Burdick spoke about having no food, no medical supplies, no gasoline and no ammunition as bad weather and relentless German assaults threatened the Americans' ability to hold out."Europe had a cold winter that year," he said. "We were not wearing winter clothes. They said they weren't giving us the "woollies" because the war was almost over. So we wore spring- through-summer clothes."Then all of a sudden, little red, blue and yellow parachutes landed. They contained blankets, medical supplies and K-rations attached to them.He said his unit had lost its medical unit and the supplies went to take care of the wounded men.He then told about driving along a road and seeing human bodies lined up alongside the road. Up ahead, they came upon a concentration camp and boxcars filled with bodies.His job was to walk through the bodies and try to find German soldiers who might be hidden among the bodies."There were between 5,000 and 10,000 people in the compound," he said. "The bodies had almost no flesh. They were stacked throughout the compound."He said he grew even more horrified when he walked through the shower area."Germans had the people take their clothes off, telling them they were getting a shower," he said. "They weren't getting showers. We all know that they were poisoned by gas. The smell in there was atrocious. There were dead and bleeding bodies left behind."Burdick said that the reason that the bodies hadn't been burned was that the Germans had run out of coal. He noted that the furnaces were still warm to the touch."There were bodies that were dragged," he said. "I was smelling this awful smell and I upchucked."The memory of that day won't be forgotten, he said."Don't let anyone tell you there was no Holocaust," he said. "I hope and pray this never happens again. What humans beings did to other human beings is hard to believe. This is the worst anyone can endure."The soldiers'homecoming"We all wanted to come home as fast as possible," said Harold Kist. "We could sign up to take a transport plane or a ship. Most opted for the plane because you could be home in a day until one crashed killing everyone on board and then taking the ship seemed like a better option."Kist said that despite the war being over, soldiers couldn't leave right away because they feared that the Russian Army would take over.He added that the timing of the soldiers departure was determined by a point system. He said that points were accrued by rank, medals and other services rendered.Veterans invitedto join Bulge groupMarris Metz spoke about the formation of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Battle of the Bulge. He said the chapter began forming in May 1998 and was chartered in October 1998. He said that the group visits schools, service organizations and colleges with a mission to be "Eyewitness to History.""We had 100 veterans in our group at the height of membership, but 65 have passed on," said Metz. "Out of the 30 or so men in our Chapter, we have less than 10 who go out and speak to groups."Metz said that for the mission to continue, he would like to see associate members take on the mission of speaking out about the Battle of the Bulge.The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Battle of the Bulge meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Best Western, at the intersection of route 22 and 512, in Allentown. Doors open at 11 a.m. It is open to all veterans.